APT stage as evening falls. Photo Pete Olsen

Hillary Clemens, Matt Schwader, Tiffany Scott, "As You Like It." Photo by Carissa Dixon.

Nestled amid the bucolic hills of Wisconsin that inspired Frank Lloyd Wright is a specular gem of a theater that for more than three decades has produced classic works garnering  incredible acclaim from the Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune, among others… American Players Theatre. Folks from Chicago and the great state of Illinois have played a significant role in helping APT to thrive and so APT and Spring Green are happy to extend a special “thank you”   with two Chicago Open House Weekends, Friday-Sunday, Aug. 20 – 22 and Sept. 10 – 12. Illinoisans taking advantage of these weekends will have eight plays to choose from for receive exclusive ticket discounts ranging from 20%-25% off regular single ticket prices. Other benefits include free admission to APT’s Bard Talks discussion series, the chance to attend a welcome event with APT artists and a special Passport card good for discounts at area establishments, including House on the Rock and Taliesin. A mere 3 1/2 hours from Chicago, these Chicago Open House Weekends make for a great late summer getaway! For reservations and more information visit AmericanPlayers.org.

Tickets are on sale now for Theatre Y’s  production of  András Visky’s “Juliet,”  coming to the Royal George Theatre Center’s  Gallery 1641 N. Halsted St., Sept. 10 to Oct. 3.

Theatre Y’s Melissa Hawkins stars in Visky’s biographically-based tour de force, directed by Karin Coonrod, who staged the critically acclaimed production of Visky’s “I Killed My Mother” earlier this year.  This riveting 90-minute solo work subtitled “A Dialogue About Love,” is the story of how a woman’s enduring love is tested while she is imprisoned with her children and no chance of survival. Plays International Magazine says “Without a gram of sentimentality, ‘Juliet’ reminds us that crocuses still bloom– even in the snow.”

Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.;  Saturdays at 5 and 8 p.m.;  and Sundays at 3 p.m. (Press opening is Saturday, Sept. 11, 8 p.m.)

Tickets are $25; $15 for students with ID. For tickets and more info.,  call  Royal George Box Office, 312.988.9000 or visit  visit theroyalgeorgetheatre.com or Ticketmaster.com (service charges apply).

"The Merchants of Bollywood" will make its North American premiere at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Oct. 1 and 2, 2010

Raved as “slick and sexy” by The London Metro and “high-octane pleasure” by The Times, London…

 Tickets go on sale for the North American premiere of the international smash hit, “The Merchants of Bollywood” Friday, July 30 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased by calling 800-982-2787 or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

After its triumph in Asia and Europe, including 16 sold-out performances in London, the international smash hit, “The Merchants of Bollywood” is set to mesmerize North America with its premiere performances at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E Congress Pkwy) this October, for two performances only Friday, Oct. 1 and Saturday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.

An international musical dance spectacular, “The Merchants of Bollywood” charts the enchanting history of the world’s largest and most prolific film industry and a dynasty of stars that have lit the industry’s path over generations. Written and directed by Toby Gough, “The Merchants of Bollywood” is loosely based on the real-life story of the Merchant family dynasty, whose members have been prominent choreographers and filmmakers since the beginning of the Hindi film industry in the 1920s. This original production was developed in Mumbai, India, with 50 performers, 500 lavish costumes and 3,000 pieces of glittering jewelry.

For more information visit www.bollywoodtickets.us/chicago.

The masters of musical political satire, the Capitol Steps, return to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in  Skokie Jan. 21 -24. This coincides with President Obama’s one year anniversary in office so the timing could not be more perfect!

The Capitol Steps have been a long standing Centre East audience favorite and their take on last  year’s Blogo- gate shenanigans was a major spotlight in their January 2009 North Shore  engagement. Back then, the Steps were just beginning to get a  sense of  the President Elect  and one of their biggest challenges in doing so was that he was almost too perfect. But its a year later  and with all the issues  from health care to the recent  Holiday airline security snafu to the  escalation in Afghanistan in the news, I can’t wait to see what they’ll feature in their North Shore performances this time ( I’m personally hoping they’ll treat us to a line or two of “O Rahm O Rahm Emanuel”).  If you’ve never enjoyed a Capitol Steps show before you can get a taste of their humor by visiting their website and snagging a listen from their  recent New Year’s Eve Radio Special …but, better yet, catch one of their shows!  The Saturday and Sunday shows are almost sold out but the Thursday and Friday shows still have seats AND some seats are as low as $25. For more info, visit www.northshorecenter.org.

Nickelodeon's "Storytime Live" comes to Chicagoland

It’s a child’s dream come true!

Nickelodeon’s latest musical adventure,  “STORYTIME LIVE,” brings four of the top-rated preschool shows together for an exciting musical adventure at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Rd., March 12-14. Hosted by Nickelodeon characters Moose and Zee, the show features “The Backyardigans,” “Wonder Pets!,” “Ni Hao, Kai-lan” and “Dora the Explorer.”

Tickets just went on sale and are currently available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Rosemont Theatre box office and at all Ticketmaster outlets.  For groups of 15 or more please call GroupTix at 1-877-447-7849.

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Rosemont Theatre
5400 N. River Rd., Rosemont, IL 60018 Map | More Info…

Pictured L-R: Andrew Carter (Harry and others), Ashley Bishop (Violet and others), Gary Houston (Uncle Billy and others), Kevin R. Kelley (George Bailey) and John Mohrlein (Mr. Potter/Clarence). Photo: The Stage Channel (2009).

American Blues Theatre continues with their “Soldier Spotlights” at performances of this year’s critically acclaimed staging of “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph!” The five servicemen spotlighted this week include:

Thursday, 12/10 8 p.m.: 1^st Lt. Milton Greenfield, Army.  Greenfield’s heroic efforts during World War II earned him nine medals including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Purple Heart. He saved the lives of three soldiers while under heavy fire and witnessed the loss of his entire crew during a single battle.

Saturday 12/12 5 p.m.: John “Fred” Sharpe, Sgt., 1^st class, Army.

Sgt. John Sharpe

As part of the 3275th Quartermaster Service Company, his first assignment was to set up and receive units in Normandy. He later went on to participate in the Battle of The Bulge. After the war, he became mentor to many troubled youth as a counselor at Sullivan House, coached Little League baseball and volunteered at Bryn Mawr Elementary School.

American Blues Theatre presents “It’s A Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph!” now through Dec. 27.  All performances take place in the new Studio at Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.  For tickets or more information call the Victory Gardens box office at 773-871-3000 or visit victorygardens.org.

Sesame Street Live returns to the Rosemont Theatre with Elmo’s Green Thumb!  Discounted tickets available for group of 10 or more.  May 6-9, 2010, $10-35.  Call GroupTix today for reservations and information: 877-447-7849 www.grouptix.net

Centre East, at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, is giving budget conscious holiday shoppers a special treat with its first ever Black Friday Sale. Beginning 10 a.m. on the busiest shopping day of the year, Fri., Nov. 27, anyone who uses code FRIDAY when purchasing single tickets will receive a 20% discount off regular ticket price for the 17 events remaining in the 2009-2010 season. Read the rest of this entry »